The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

A New Theory of Osmotic Pressures of Binary Solutions of Non-Electrolytes

Granik, Vladimir T.; Ferrari, Mauro

UCB/SEMM-1997/14, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1997-09-01, 33 pages (500/C23/97/14)

A new theory of osmotic pressures is developed which applies to binary solutions of non-electrolytes separated by a semipermeable or a leaky membrane. Both solutions are assumed to be incompressible. Unlike previous theories that are either empirical or stem from thermodynamic considerations, the present theory is based on the diffusion mechanism of osmosis and might therefore be termed 'mechanistic.' The 'mechanistic' theory is validated by direct and indirect experimental data on osmotic pressures of aqueous solutions of sucrose and those of ethanol at all feasible concentrations.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/SEMM/SEMM-97-14.pdf (3 MB)